


Taken

by AntalyaLace



Category: Dragon Age
Genre: Angst, Dark, F/M, Kink Meme, Non Consensual, Rape, Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-21
Updated: 2011-10-21
Packaged: 2017-10-24 20:28:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/267558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntalyaLace/pseuds/AntalyaLace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for this prompt:  Every time I read a non-con story it's always the same deal: the girl doesn't want to have sex, the guy doesn't care and fucks her anyway. The thing is the girl always ends up enjoying it in the end (sometimes even in the beginning). And I don't think this is realistic, I can get some people having seriously rough fantasies, but surely in most cases a woman doesn't end up enjoying non-con sex. Right?? That's just my guess. I only read non-con for the angst, and I have yet to read a realistic non-con with real angst.</p><p>So, I'd like for someone to write about this, but the girl doesn't enjoy it at all, she feels horrible and really sore (both emotionally and physically). Come on, it's a challenge! You gotta show you can write what real pain feels like.</p><p>And don't even consider including anal sex, please; that's the easy path for writing pain. I want normal sex pain and angst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taken

**Author's Note:**

> I've made a few minor variations to canon. Solona's Harrowing takes place well before the mages leave for Ostagar. Duncan does not recruit her, and the Jowan/Lily encounter never happens.
> 
> WARNING: There is nothing happy about this story past the first paragraph or so, and it could be triggering for rape. It's my first attempt at non-con so hopefully it's not too awful.

Solona was so happy she almost didn't know what to do with herself. She had survived her Harrowing just weeks ago, and tonight Enchanter Niall had finally noticed her existence. She had been here in the library when he had entered. He had been searching for one of Senior Enchanter's Cadeyrn's books on the tactics of combining magic with fighting units and had offhandedly asked for her help in locating it. Usually when she was anywhere around Niall, she found herself tongue tied, but Solona had shyly asked him why he was looking for it. He had paused for a moment as he seemed to really look at her and then given her a slow smile. That smile had warmed her all the way to her toes. He had told her that he had heard rumors of darkspawn massing, and he wanted to be ready in case a call would come for mages. Solona had agreed that sounded like a worthy goal. Once they had finally located the elusive book, Niall had then suggested that after he had read it he could pass some of what he learned on to her. Feeling emboldened, Solona had uncharacteristically flirted with him, and Niall had responded before making his exit from the library.

Solona had been so excited and full of daydreams about Niall that she had sat herself down at one of the corner tables and lost track of time. She didn't notice the lateness of the hour or the fact that the library was slowly emptying. When she looked up from the book she had been staring at blankly for the past hours, it startled her how quiet the library had become. Loud talking was discouraged, but there was usually a background murmur of soft voices, quills scratching against parchment, and the sound of pages turning as mages ruffled through them.

Suddenly realizing how late it had become, Solona rose from her chair. She picked up the book she had been so anxious to study a few hours before, but which now seemed rather meaningless, and she carefully placed it back on the shelf she had removed it from. She headed toward the stairs so she could make her way to bed. Perhaps she would have dreams of Niall in the Fade.

As she began to climb the stairs to the senior mage quarters, the door at the top of the flight was abruptly pulled open. The clank of armor filled her ears as her vision was encompassed by a figure in full templar plate that appeared in the doorway. The suddenness of the apparition startled her, and her heart raced before starting to settle back to its normal rate. Solona took another step as a deep voice spoke.

"Well, well, and what do we have here? A mageling out and about all by her lonesome at such a late hour? I bet you're up to no good, aren't you?"

Solona felt a shiver pass down her spine at the templar's words. "What? No! I was studying and lost track of time, that's all." She didn't recognize the templar by his tone of voice. With so many in the tower and the way they were constantly rotating, Solona had never been very good at identifying individual ones without seeing their faces.

"You expect me to believe that? I've heard that we have a blood mage in the tower. Is that you?"

"Blood magic? Me?" Solona was incredulous. He couldn't be serious.

He strode down the few steps that separated them and took her arm in a firm, cruel grip. "I think I need to do some investigating into this matter. You will come with me."

With his hand on her arm, she certainly couldn't resist. He began walking, pulling her behind him as he led her back through the library.

"Aw!" Solona protested his rough handling of her. His gauntlet was digging painfully into the skin of her arm. "Let go of me." She leaned against his pull, but he ignored her and continued to drag her along.

When they reached the exit on the other side of the library, she renewed her struggles with a vengeance, twisting and turning to try and escape his hold as he headed toward the basement stairs. He simply tightened his grip even more and kept walking. Solona had never been in the basement before, and she certainly didn't want to go down there with this man late at night. She threw a desperate look around but didn't see another soul. Besides the noises the two of them made, this part of the tower was quiet in a way that began to feel malevolent. He stopped and turned to her rather dispassionately, and Solona slowed her struggles. She still had no clue exactly who this templar was, but she could feel the coolness of his regard through his helm.

"I said, 'Let go of me!'" Solona wrenched her arm again and opened her mouth to scream.

His next move seemed precise and unhurried as his gauntlet-covered hand cuffed her firmly against the side of her face. It was only his hold on her arm that kept Solona on her feet as her body swung away from the power in his blow. The air she had drawn in to scream with left her lungs in a rush at the impact and was followed by involuntary whimpers. Tears filled her eyes as fear set her heart to pounding. She had never been struck by a templar before.

"That was a love tap. You will be quiet and quit struggling or there will be worse where that came from." His voice had a flat tone as if it mattered little to him whether or not she obeyed. He hustled her forward then, rapidly dragging her along and down the stairs to the door.

He held out the hand to her that wasn't holding her arm. "Remove my gauntlet."

Solona's eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head. "No!"

He drew his arm back, and Solona knew he wouldn't hesitate to hit her again.

"All right, yes," she said miserably. Her head was still spinning from his first blow. She didn't want to experience another one.

He extended his arm once again, and Solona reached out with both hands and drew the gauntlet off his hand.

"Don't drop it," he said in warning.

The hand not gripped tightly around her arm went to his belt pouch, and Solona watched as he deftly opened it as she held his gauntlet clenched tightly in her fists. He removed a key and turned to the door, inserting and turning it in one smooth motion. He removed the key from the lock before pulling her along once again.

As the door to the basement was closed and locked behind her, Solona's fear reached a new level. "Please, where are we going? Why are you doing this to me?"

"I told you to be quiet."

Solona thought that with no one around to rescue her she had best not anger him any more than necessary, and so she reluctantly kept her mouth shut. The eery quiet of the dark basement began to affect her as misery spread through her. With the door locked, he seemed sure enough of her to let go of her arm. The templar reached down to pick up one of the mage lights that the tranquil supplied for the tower that sat beside the door. He opened it enough so that a dim light surrounded the two of them. In the gloom beyond that, Solona could see another set of stairs.

"Come with me." He started down the steps, and Solona, with one last look of longing behind her at the locked door, reluctantly followed him to stay within the circle of light he carried.

He didn't go far, leading her down the stairs and through an archway. Solona received the impression of size, but in the dimness of the light it was hard to tell exactly how big the room was. He stopped in the middle of the stone floor, sat the light to one side, and then slowly drew off his other gauntlet. He wordlessly held his hand out to her, and Solona, feeling as if she was trapped in a dream, placed the one she held in it. He leaned over and gently laid them beside the light before reaching up and removing his helm.

As it was raised above his head, the templar turned his gaze on her. Solona was terrified at the expression she saw in his eyes. With his face revealed, she realized that he was Ser Iago, one of the knight-commander's most trusted templars. Just as there were mages with different strengths and abilities, the same was true of the templars. Ser Iago was not one of the weak or unskilled, however. Her heart sank as she realized her magic would be useless against him.

He calmly placed the helm beside his gauntlets and stood up. Solona felt her heart quake as the man towered over her in his armor.

"Take off the robe."

Solona was shocked by his demand, but responded quickly and emphatically. "I will not!"

His answer was to reach behind him and draw his sword in a threatening manner. "I'm sorry to hear that, but if you will not allow me to inspect your body to prove your innocence, I have no choice but to strike you down as a maleficar."

Solona froze under his eyes. She couldn't seem to work up the ability to run from him as both the templar and the sword he carried came closer and closer to her. She unlocked her knees enough to take one shaky step back. "P-p-please, I'm not a blood mage. I was just studying in the library. I didn't do anything wrong!" Solona's voice was high and shrill by the time she finished speaking.

He paused for a moment still with the sword in his hand and tilted his head as if he was listening to a far-off voice. "I must be sure." Solona's insides turned to jelly as the man began to chant Transfigurations 1:2, his voice becoming stronger and stronger as religious fervor seemed to fill him. "' _…They shall be named maleficar, accursed ones. They shall find no rest in this world or beyond._ '" His eyes seemed filled with a terrible burning as he raised his arm above her.

In absolute terror, Solona screamed, "Yes, fine. I'll take it off." She was totally convinced the man would strike her down if she didn't cooperate. With shaking hands, she opened the robe and allowed it to slip from her shoulders. Slowly, the sword over her lowered and then he returned it to the sheath behind his back. As Solona stepped out of the robe, the chill of the basement reached her body and her flesh pebbled in reaction. Solona bowed her head in misery as she stood before him clad only in her smallclothes and breastband. Her heart thumped when his fingers grasped her chin, raising her head and tilting it back as his eyes roamed over the skin of her neck. His hands ran down to her shoulders as his gaze followed them searching for evidence of her guilt. She felt the warmth of his body in his hands and fingers as they trailed along her skin, but it only made her colder inside.

His hands continued down her arms, twisting them so he could inspect the inner surfaces and then he took her wrists turning her hands upward. He looked at her palms and fingers.

"What's this?" he asked suspiciously as his eyes landed on a small cut on her forefinger.

"It's a paper cut," Solona said. "I did it today while turning a page in _Ines Arancia’s Botanical Compendium._ "

"So you claim."

"It's the truth!" She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes. Frustration at her helplessness as he refused to believe anything she said swept through her.

Her breath caught in her chest as without warning he dropped one of her hands, reached out, and ran his fingertips down the center of her torso. Her body shuddered as he ran them over the breastband and between her breasts, but thankfully he didn't stop there. Instead he dragged his fingers along the flat planes of her stomach and down her left hip.

"I need to check your inner thighs. Open your legs."

Solona felt her face redden as she complied. He squatted down and his fingers dug into her flesh as he looked for cuts that she knew he wouldn't find.

When he was satisfied and stood back up, she said, "There, you see. I told you I wasn't a blood mage." She attempted to reach down to grab her robe, but once again, his hand on her arm prevented her from moving.

"I'm not finished."

Solona felt her stomach drop at those words. He moved around behind her, still holding onto her. The fingers of his other hand started at her neck and then swept down her back. His hand slowed as his fingers reached her ass. He caressed her firm curves almost gently, and Solona felt a new panic overcome her. Surely, he wasn't planning too—no, it was too awful to think.

She felt the coldness of his armor as he stepped closer to her and slipped an arm around her waist. Solona's heart was beating in a thundering rhythm, and her body was as stiff as a board. She heard the harshness of his breath in her ear. "I'll just be on my way now," she said and tried to take a step. His arm was like a steel band around her waist, though, and held her firmly in place against his armor.

Solona jumped when she felt his lips touch her ear. "I said that I wasn't finished yet." His voice was quiet but had lost the flatness that it had earlier, and Solona swore she could hear eagerness in its place.

She began to squirm in earnest the next moment as she felt his other hand at her breast. She panicked as the fact that his religious fervor had changed to something much more basic became obvious to her.

"No, stop!" she screamed, and Solona flailed, trying to push him away from her breasts.

He braced his legs and held her tighter. She beat against him, but the armor on his arms protected him and she was no more effective than a trapped moth beating its wings. His fingers found and twisted her nipple through her breastband. Solona abruptly quit fighting as she almost collapsed from the pain that started there, but seemed to radiate through her entire body.

"You little whore. You like it. Your nipples are hard."

His accusations stung her. "It's cold down here. Of course they are!" she said through a haze of pain and tears as he twisted her nipple once again. "Please, stop. I'm neither a whore nor a blood mage. Please, just let me go." She hated the pleading tone and the way her voice softened and broke.

"You mage bitches are all the same. Teasing and panting after every male in the tower and then trying to cry your way out of it when a man has had enough. Singing a different tune now, aren't you?"

His hand pushed her breastband out of the way and then kneaded her breast painfully as he dropped his head and bit her solidly on the side of the neck. Solona let out a cry in reaction to his teeth digging into tender skin. She realized that she was about to pay in the place of the person who had teased Ser Iago. Whoever had done so had pushed him way too far.

"I don't do that. Not ever and certainly not to you. Please, Ser Iago!"

Solona hoped using his name would have some effect, but he simply lifted his head, removed his hand from her breast, and grasped her by the neck. Levering her between his hands at her neck and waist, he pushed her roughly to the ground as he went to one knee beside her. She tried to resist him, but her strength against his was negligible. Her cheek thumped against the floor as she landed on her belly, and for a moment the world spun around her. She felt the rings of his chain skirt through the material that covered it as he firmly placed his knee in the small of her back.

Solona struggled, using her whole body, but the combined weight of the man and his armor was like trying to move a mountain. She was pinned securely in place beneath him. "Let me go," she shrieked over and over, but it wasn't any use. She was in his power and would remain so until he decided to release her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him place his sword on the floor well out of her reach. She felt his knee move against her back as he did something above her. She craned her head around as far as she could to try and see what he was doing. Solona's heart began beating even harder, if that was possible, when she realized he was loosening his sash and skirts from around his waist. "No," she whispered as she felt defeat wash over her. Understanding that he truly meant to rape her, Solona knew she had to at least try her magic. She began to cast, reaching as quickly as she could for the mana to complete her spell.

He roared wordlessly above her, and as the cleanse washed over her, she felt the mana she had gathered drain away.

"You bitch," he almost spat at her. "You should accept the Maker's will. I spent months praying to Andraste that you and your harlot sisters would leave my fevered thoughts and for the teasing to end. When that didn't work, I prayed to the Maker, asking his intervention. Running into you tonight was a sign. The Maker wants me to have you, and I shall not turn away from his _gift_."

His words chilled her. The man was obviously crazy. She needed to get away from him, but she didn't have any idea how to accomplish that. Her mind worked furiously, but the only thing she could do was to try and talk him out of it.

She began to speak with a tone that you would use to a young child. "Please, Ser Iago. You are a good templar. I know you don't want to do this. The Maker doesn't want you to hurt me."

She wished she could see his face and look into his eyes as she spoke, but he was too far out of her limited field of vision. She felt him continue to move around above her as she talked, and then his hand returned to grasp her around the nape of her neck once again. He pushed her head down so the cold, smooth surface of the floor was against her face once again and held her there. The pressure of his knee in her back disappeared. Solona began struggling again as she heard the jingling of chain and the swish of material as he removed his skirts. She pivoted her body away from him, but she couldn't escape his hold on her neck. He moved quickly then, jamming his knee into her lower back once again, and she felt the heat of direct skin-on-skin contact.

"Don't you presume to tell me what the Maker wants." He almost hissed at her, and she could hear the anger in his voice. His removed his knee from her back once again, but he kept his hold on her neck. He quickly turned her body over as Solona fought to stay on her belly, but again her struggles were useless against him.

Panic reigned within her as the sight of him above her terrified her. He hadn't bothered to remove any of the armor that encased his upper body, and he still wore his metal boots. His skirts and smallclothes were lying rumpled beside her, and she had a view of his cock jutting ready from his body. It was long, thick, and heavy, and Solona could see how the thought of what he was going to do to her had excited him as the blood vessels stood out in his shaft and showed their coloration against his skin.

Solona couldn't help herself and let out a high-pitched scream when he tore her smallclothes from her body. It seemed to echo around the dark room, but the man above her just laughed.

"You can yell all you want. No one will hear you down here."

By the time he finished speaking, he had changed positions once again, and she was truly trapped beneath him. His groin was pressed against her lower body, and she could feel the heat of his cock against the top of her hip as his length was trapped between them. He used one knee to force her legs apart, and his hands were on either side of her head. She felt as if he totally engulfed her.

When he took his weight on his lower body and one hand and raised the other to touch her, Solona snapped. Her struggles had no conscious thought. She screamed; she clawed; she thrashed her extremities; she tried to bite; but her fight only seemed to amuse him as a malicious grin crossed his face. When he tired of her efforts, he lowered his upper body, pressing her tightly into the floor with his weight, and her breasts were squashed painfully against his breastplate. He grasped both her wrists in his hands and pulled her arms above her head. Using only one hand, he held them there.

He was close enough to her now that she could smell his breath. The overwhelming mixture of onions he'd consumed at his last meal as well as a grainy scent from the ale he had drank wafted over her, and Solona felt her gorge rise. His free hand stroked almost gently down the side of her face, and Solona jerked her head away from his touch. He didn't seem bothered by her rejection as his hand continued to move down her body.

Her fear was starting to come under control, but now she felt a new emotion to replace it: anger. "I'll tell. If you rape me, I'll tell both the first enchanter and the knight-commander."

That seemed to give him pause for a moment. He drew back a bit, and Solona was able to look directly into his cold green eyes. She had heard some of the younger mages whispering together about the handsomeness of Ser Iago's masculine features and warm gaze, but if any of them had been here tonight, they wouldn't have recognized him as the knight-in-shining-armor they had fantasized about. This man was a predator, and his eyes reflected that as he stared back at her. Ser Iago seemed to consider her words, but then he spoke almost dismissively. "They won't believe you. The knight-commander will see one of his loyal, upright men accused of something unjust, and the first enchanter, well, he doesn't have much time for you any more, does he? He's always busy with that new apprentice of his."

Solona felt a small wobble of her belief, but she said firmly, "Irving wouldn't just let go of an accusation like that. He would at least investigate it."

He tilted his head so his lips were just outside her ear as he said very quietly, "Perhaps, he would. But what do you think he would say about a frumpy mage whose sexual overtures were turned down because of devotion by a dedicated templar, and then she brings false charges against the poor man?"

"You bastard!" She once again felt the prick of tears as she continued her struggle against his hold on her wrists. "Irving would believe me! He would." Solona wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or Ser Iago.

She felt Ser Iago moving as he worked his other knee between her legs. She tried to kick and press her thighs together, but he relentlessly spread her legs so her pelvis was exposed to him. He raised his hand to his mouth and spit into the palm of his hand. With new terror, Solona felt his hand travel between their bodies and grasp his cock as he began to smear the saliva on himself. She tried to buck and twist beneath him, but she didn't have much leeway.

"No," she moaned in despair as she felt the head of his cock press against the lips of her vagina.

"Yes," he said in her ear, and the triumph she heard there made her feel even sicker. "That's it. Fight me."

Realizing that her struggles were arousing him even further, Solona made herself lie still. He could force himself on her, but she refused to give him one extra bit of pleasure. Ser Iago pushed against her then, and she felt her folds slid open around him as his head found her entrance. A thrust seated him just inside her, and a second opened up a whole level of pain for Solona. A whimper escaped her and then she moaned as the agony grew worse.

She wasn't a virgin, but Solona had never been taken unwilling before. Her channel was dry and closed, and as he forced his cock deeper and deeper inside her, Solona felt a burning as delicate tissues were damaged. The saliva he had used to lubricate himself with hadn't helped much, and another wave of pain rolled over Solona as he tore her with his careless thrusts.

She felt his hot breath stir her hair, and he began to grunt as he pulled himself partway out and shoved back into her again. Her dryness made it difficult for him to slide, and she experienced agony with every inch of his movement. Solona bit her lip to keep from making any more sounds as she was determined not to give him the satisfaction.

He continued to rock roughly in and out of her. Her body slowly loosened and began to grow wet, in self-defense not arousal, and his passage was eased as the blood from where he had torn her became smeared across his cock.

He finally released her wrists and went to his elbows above her shoulders as he turned his head away from her. At least that way she didn't have to look into his face, but she could still hear the sounds he continued to make and the way his breathing grew more ragged. Solona pulled her arms down to her sides and pressed her hands against the floor as he continued his rhythmic thrusts. She squeezed her eyes shut, but still tears leaked beneath her eyelids. Solona turned her head away from him as she prayed for the pain to be over.

He was no considerate lover who would protect her from the weight of his upper body. Each time he thrust into her, his upper body and armor pressed against her. Breathing became difficult, and she was forced to time her breaths to his movements. Her chest ached from his abuse, and Solona began to feel lightheaded as she wasn't able to draw enough air in to fill her lungs.

It seemed like forever to her, but finally he reached orgasm. His entire body stiffened, and he gave an involuntary yell. As his cock pumped his hot seed inside her, Solona felt filthy. She wanted to crawl away in shame with each spurt. When his whole body weight fell on her, Solona felt something give in her chest.

As he gasped above her like a fish out of water, Solona tried desperately to push him away. Her vision was starting to go dark, and she needed to breathe freely. As her hands pushed and pounded against his armor, he finally rolled off of her.

Solona's entire body hurt from the passage between her legs all the way through her torso. She tried to draw a deep breath, but the pain in her chest prevented that so she panted lightly. She rolled up on her side, turning away from him as all her muscles protested the movement. Solona tried to draw her legs up so she could curl around herself, but the burning pain in her pussy and ache in her chest only allowed her legs to partially rise. She laid there for a few minutes as the mixture of his cum and her blood leaked out of her and dribbled down the back of her leg. Her nipple ached from his rough handling, and she drew her arms against her chest, cradling herself as if it would stop the pain.

She dimly heard him moving behind her, but she was so encased in her cocoon of physical discomfort that she didn't pay any attention to him until she felt his foot in her back.

"Come on. Time to go," he said.

She turned her head to see him standing impatiently above her. She noted he was dressed again and that he carried his blood-stained smallclothes in his hand. He must have used them to clean himself up with before donning his armor once again.

Solona tried to push herself up, but fell weakly back to the floor. She wasn't sure how she would ever be able to climb all the stairs up to her room in this state. He frowned then as his eyes glittered down at her in the dim glow of the mage light. They swept her body before he spoke again.

"I will allow you to heal yourself, but don't even try to cast anything else. I'll hit you with a smite faster than you can get the spell off, and I bet it wouldn't make you feel any better."

Solona just nodded her head slightly and shut her eyes. She reached out with a deft skill, pulling mana from the Fade and allowing the gentle wash of healing energy to flow through her. She could feel his presence at the periphery of the energies she manipulated, and she realized he was holding onto his own power, ready to strike her down at any moment. She ignored that, however, as the relief rolled through her. It started at her head, easing the side of her face where he had struck her earlier. The muscles in her chest released, and she was able to take a full breath. The burning in her pussy disappeared as the tears he had made inside her knit back together. Finally, she released her hold on the Fade and opened her eyes. She would still be stiff and sore, but the worst of the damage was repaired.

He thrust her smalls at her. "Here, clean yourself up and let's go."

She stared at him with all the hate she could muster in her eyes. Now that she had some relief from the physical pain, the emotional toll of the night began to hit her. Solona wanted to hurt Ser Iago anyway she could, but she was afraid of him. The dull echoes of the pain she had experienced that night reminded her how easy it had been for him to control her and take what he had wanted. For the moment, her thoughts had to be centered on escaping from him. She took her smalls from him and reached between her legs, smearing the blood and cum across them. The smell of his release wafted to her nose, and she felt a sense of shame that he had been able to take her so easily.

"Clean the mess off the floor, too."

The tone of his voice let her know he wouldn't brook a refusal. Her eyes dropped to where the fluids that had leaked from her body had created a very small pool. Solona felt his gaze on her as she gritted her teeth, but nonetheless she reached out and obediently wiped up every drop.

"Here." He dropped her clothing on the top of her.

Solona grabbed her robe eagerly. She adjusted the breastbinder he had shoved out of his way, settling her breasts within the familiar confines. She then climbed to her feet and pulled her robe over her head as quickly as she could. She felt infinitely better as she secured the ties around her.

While she had been dressing, he had stooped down and picked up the smallclothes she had used to clean herself with. She watched as he balled them together with his and dropped them into his belt pouch. Solona realized that he was removing the evidence of what had happened between them. She struggled to keep her face expressionless as she saw he had a long scratch down one side of his face. She must have caught him with one of her nails when she had struggled against him.

His green eyes scrutinized her. "If you are smart, you will keep your mouth shut and forget about what happened here tonight. If you try and tell someone, you will only end up looking the fool." He reached down and picked up the light and began to move back toward the locked basement door. He reached out as if he would take a hold of her once again. Solona saw his lips curve in a satisfied smile when she jerked away from him. Her fear was evident, and he seemed content to let her go.

She didn't reply to his comment. Solona would let him wonder what she planned to do as all she could think about was getting away from him. She followed him back up the stairs to the apprentice quarters willingly enough. She kept enough distance between them so that he couldn't reach her, however.

Once he had opened the door, she darted past him and through as quickly as she could. She began to run, heading for the upper floors of the tower. She heard him laughing, and then he called mockingly to her, "Thank you for a lovely evening."

Solona felt tears start to form, but she blinked rapidly to try and forestall them. She had to get back to her own quarters and away from Ser Iago. She flew through the tower as if she had wings. She passed a templar in the hallway of the mage quarters. He seemed startled at her flight, but she reached her own door just past him and the templar didn't pursue her into her room.

Solona threw the door shut behind her and leaned against it as she panted. Now the tears that had been threatening since the whole nightmare had begun started to flow. She slid down the door and landed on the floor in a pile. She tried to muffle her cries so she wouldn't wake up her roommate, but she could no more stop them now than she could stop breathing. She wrapped her arms around her legs as the hot tears scalded her cheeks. She keened softly into her robe and rocked herself. She sat there crying until the smell of him broke through into her consciousness. With a sense of urgency, she pushed herself off the floor as she wiped her eyes with the back of one hand. She hurried toward the bathing chamber she shared with Evelina.

Solona hurried as fast as she could to draw a bath and heat the water. She needed to wash the stench of him off of her. As she eased into the hot water, she was thankful that at least he hadn't tried to kiss her. The taste of him in her mouth would have been even worse than his scent marking her and the memory of his touch on her skin. She scrubbed herself briskly trying to wash away any trace of him, but no matter how she scrubbed, she could still feel his hands on her body. The water was cold before she gave up trying to erase the sensations. With her skin cold and raw, she crawled out of the tub and dressed in her nightwear. She did a quick cleanup and then dragged herself off to her bed.

Solona laid in the dark with the covers drawn up to her chin. She was shaking and tears began again. She laid there for a long time, reliving everything that had occurred. She was angry with herself that she had been so meek with him, but even after he had taken what he wanted, Ser Iago had scared her. He had seemed a hair trigger from violence during their entire confrontation, and she had been terrified that he would lose control and beat her at any moment.

The question of why echoed over and over in her mind. What had she ever done that had been so wrong that she would have deserved such a thing happening to her? Why had he done what he had? Had she just been a convenient opportunity for him or was the Maker truly punishing her as he had implied? The questions continued, but she could find no answers. By early morning, Solona's eyes were sore from all the tears she had cried and from staring at the ceiling above her. She hadn't dropped off to sleep once the entire night.

When Solona heard stirring in the halls, she pulled herself out of bed. She had made up her mind what she was going to do. She had healed her injuries, but Ser Iago still carried the mark she had made on his face. With a new determination not to let the man win, she dressed and made her way to First Enchanter Irving's office. It must have been even earlier than she thought because Irving wasn't there.

Solona drifted down the hallways of the tower as she waited to catch the first enchanter. She couldn't stomach the thought of going down to the library yet, but just to pass some time, she started to enter the central area where Owain's storeroom was. She came to an abrupt halt inside the door.

Knight-Commander Greagoir must have been having an impromptu meeting with some of his templars. There was a group of them standing in the open area before the stairs. Most of the men held their helms under an arm as they listened and talked among each other. What had caused Solona to stop was that Ser Iago was one of them. As he turned his head, his eyes fell on her. Fear raced through her body as her instinct was to run and escape. Solona was able to overrule that desire, however. He couldn't hurt her with all the people surrounding them. She stiffened when his expression remained blank as he looked at her. His gaze then dismissed her, and he returned his attention to those around him. Someone must have cracked a joke because all of them, including Ser Iago, began laughing.

Solona continued to stand there, as a myriad of emotions, including anger, fear, and hatred, ran through her mind. The fact that after raping her he could stand there, disregard her so casually, and then laugh made her want to hurt him as badly as he had hurt her. He turned his head once again, and Solona gave an audible gasp. The scratch down his face was gone. A sense of futility and rage came over her. She now had no proof beyond her word versus his of what had happened last night.

Suddenly realizing that she could draw attention to herself by standing in the doorway, Solona moved toward the storeroom. She continued to watch Ser Iago out of the corner of her eye. Her hands clenched into tight fists at his carefree demeanor. She vowed to herself that someday, somehow she would find a way to have her vengeance.

_________________________________

Uldred allowed only the smallest of smiles to play around the corners of his mouth. He observed the expression on Amell's face as she watched Ser Iago laughing with his fellow templars. It was easy for him to read the hate and sense of powerlessness she felt. Uldred had noted her alone in the library last night and known she was ripe for the plucking if only the correct circumstances could be brought to bear. He had found Ser Iago on his knees in the chantry. Uldred had observed him there many nights and knew he prayed for relief from his basest instincts.

It had been only a matter of moments to use the small knife that never left his person these days and gain control of the templar. Uldred had severed the bindings of honor and decency Ser Iago kept on the monster that lurked inside his mind, and then Uldred had directed him down to the library. It had taken patience on his part, but he had waited to see Amell's return to the mage quarters. He had known his plan had worked even better than expected from the expression on her face and the way she had run through the tower. Uldred had intercepted Ser Iago, shrouding his memories of the evening with ones of praying in the chantry. He had then given Ser Iago a healing poultice to cover the marks from his encounter with Amell. It was perfect. Even if she tried to accuse him, he would have the bearing of an innocent man as Ser Iago had no memory left of what he had done.

Still smirking at his own cleverness, Uldred threw one last look at Amell. He would give her a few more days to stew in her helplessness and rage. He didn't have any doubt that when he made his offer of power that she would accept with alacrity. Not one of his carefully prepared approaches had been turned down.

Turning, he easily dismissed her from his mind. Uldred began to stalk the halls of the mage tower, weighing those he met for weaknesses to exploit as he sought his next acolyte.


End file.
